Borrowing, Renewing, and Returning Items

You may borrow from us if you are:

• A registered Western Michigan University student with a Bronco Card
• A WMU faculty or staff member, or retiree with a Bronco Card
• A guest borrower
• A WMU doctoral program alumni

Borrowing periods

Due dates are shown in My Library Account and included in email notices.

 Number of items you can borrow

Renewing items

Visit My Library Account and sign in to Library Search to renew items online.

• Review results to make sure renewal was successful
• If you have trouble renewing, please call User Services at (269) 387-5059, or bring items in to one of the library service desks

Recall

• Library users may recall items you have checked out
• You will get an e-mail notification to return the item
• You are guaranteed use of the material for at least 14 days
• Lost fee applied 5 days after recalled due date

Notice Schedule

• Courtesy - 5 days before due date

• Due Today - Early morning on day due

• Overdue #1 - 7 days after due date

• Overdue #2 - 38 days after due date. Alerts patron to return or renew (if allowed) items within 7 days to avoid stated "Lost Billing" fees ($75 lost item fee + $15 non-refundable processing fee)

• Overdue (Videos/Recalls/Reserves) - 1 day after due date; only for reserves, recalls, and videos. Alerts patron to return item within 4 days or it will be declared lost

• Lost Billing - 45 days after due date. Notice to patron of "Lost Billing" fees applied to university account

• A final search is conducted for items prior to "Lost Billing"
• "Lost Billing" fees are transferred nightly and are immediately assessed to your WMU account
• Please see payment options

Returning items

All items can be returned to one of the following locations:

• Waldo Library - Three convenient locations: 1. Book return drop slot near outside doors of library front entrance. 2. Outside book return drop slot, at curb side, on Arcadia Street side of building. 3. Inside building at first floor atrium.

• College of Health and Human Services Campus - Drop box on first floor of Health and Human Services Building, near the Learning Resource Center. Pick up Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m.
• Engineering Campus (Parkview) - Drop box on first floor of Floyd Hall, near front entrance and Lecture Hall D-115. Pick up Monday through Friday 9:15 a.m.
• Haworth College of Business - Drop box on first floor of Schneider Hall, by entrance closest to the Fetzer Center. Pick up Monday through Friday 10 a.m.

• Maybee Music and Dance Library - in Dalton Center, third floor.

• Swain Education Library - Book return drop slot inside the Education Library (Sangren Hall, second level), to the left of the service desk.

Library materials must be returned complete with all parts, discs, booklets, and other accompanying material. You will be charged full replacement costs for items returned without all accompanying material.

Lost Item and processing fees

Lost item and processing fees apply to all borrowers.

These charges may also apply to any damaged items. If a lost item is returned within six months of the billing date the lost item fee will be refunded, but not the processing fee.

Because Inter-Library Loan (ILL) items come from other institutions, they are treated differently from materials borrowed from WMU Libraries:

• ILL Items, unlike other items, will incur overdue fines of $1 a day

• ILL items will be considered lost after an amount of time determined by the lending institution

• Lost fees for ILL items are also determined by the lending institution, and are most typically equal to the item’s replacement value. A $15 non-refundable processing fee will also be charged for lost ILL items

Making payments

All payments should be made with WMU Accounts Receivable.

suspension of Borrowing privileges

Borrowing privileges will be suspended if a patron has one or more recalled items overdue.

Borrowing at one of the regional locations

If you are a student at one of the regional locations of WMU, you may request items to be sent to you through the interlibrary loan request form.

Borrowing from other libraries

WMU library users with a Bronco Card may borrow from other libraries through MeLCat or Interlibrary Loan.

Guest borrowers

A guest borrower may borrow up to 10 items excluding class reserve items and audio/video formats. See loan periods above. For more information on obtaining a guest borrower's card, please contact User Services (269) 387-5059 during open library hours.

You may obtain a one year guest borrower's card if you:

• Live within a 50-mile radius of Western Michigan University, and

• Are at least 18 years of age, and

• Present a photo identification with an address and proof of Social Security number

Western Michigan University doctoral program alumni

Western Michigan University doctoral program alumni are granted lifetime borrowing privileges. You must present the Lifetime Borrower's Card available after graduation to borrow items for the period of one semester from a WMU library.